From Hadley Freeman, bestselling author of House of Glass , comes a “riveting” ( The New York Times ) memoir about her experience as an anorexic and her journey to recovery. In 1995, Hadley Freeman wrote in her diary: “I just spent three years of my life in mental hospitals. So why am I crazier than I was before????” From the ages of fourteen to seventeen, Freeman lived in psychiatric wards after developing anorexia nervosa. Her doctors informed her that her body was cannibalizing her muscles and heart for nutrition, but they could tell her little else: why she had it, what it felt like, what recovery looked like. For the next twenty years, Freeman lived as a “functioning anorexic,” grappling with new forms of self-destructive behavior as the anorexia mutated and persisted. Anorexia is one of the most widely discussed but least understood mental illnesses. Through “sharp storytelling, solid research and gentle humor” ( The Wall Street Journal ), Freeman delivers an incisive and bracing work that details her experiences with anorexia—the shame, fear, loneliness, and rage—and how she overcame it. She interviews doctors to learn how treatment for the illness has changed since she was hospitalized and what new discoveries have been made about the illness, including its connection to autism, OCD, and metabolic rate. She learns why the illness always begins during adolescence and how this reveals the difficulties for girls to come of age. Freeman tracks down the women with whom she was hospitalized and reports on how their recovery has progressed over decades. Good Girls is an honest and hopeful story of resilience that offers a message to the nearly 30 million Americans who suffer from eating disorders: Life can be enjoyed, rather than merely endured.

Discover T he Virtue of Inner Strength by renowned self-esteem pioneer Nathaniel Branden, a compelling new work that reinvigorates his foundational insights while introducing a powerful new chapter: Self-Esteem as a Spiritual Discipline. Branden--who authored nearly 20 transformative books, including The Psychology of Self-Esteem and The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem --was among the first psychologists to rigorously define self-esteem as the experience of being competent to cope and worthy of happiness. In this essential new volume, Branden blends his hallmark psychological clarity with a fresh spiritual lens, showing how self-esteem is not only a path to personal wellbeing but also a deeper quest of consciousness and integrity. In The Virtue of Inner Strength, you'll: Learn why self-esteem is your most important right--and how defending it is essential for genuine happiness. Understand Branden's classic insight: "Self-esteem is the reputation you get with yourself," developed through competent, confident, courageous action--while misguided actions chip away at your inner strength. Explore his practical self-esteem methods--living consciously, accepting responsibility, integrity, purposefulness, assertiveness, and self acceptance--each building deep psychological resilience. The benefits for the reader: A renewed sense of personal agency: build trust in your mind and expand confidence that you deserve success, love, and fulfillment. Emotional resilience: confront self-doubt, face fears, and channel discomfort as fuel for personal growth. Spiritual clarity: deepen your connection to reality and develop a consciousness rooted in truth, purpose, and integrity. Life affirming habits: cultivate lifelong practices--living consciously, self-responsibly, and with integrity--that protect your inner strength even when challenged. Holistic balance: integrate psychological insight with spiritual discipline to emerge as a whole, self-empowered person. New in this edition: Self-Esteem as a Spiritual Discipline Branden elevates self-esteem from a psychological need to a spiritual practice --a disciplined way of orienting your awareness, truthfulness, and personal integrity. You'll discover: How self-esteem differs from fleeting self-image--a deep container for your thoughts, feelings, and responses. * Why self-esteem is more than "feel good"; when grounded in reality and built through the "six pillars," it transforms into a spiritual achievement. “/li> In a culture that often confuses self-esteem with vanity or entitlement, Branden's work stands firm: true self-esteem is earned, grounded, and crucial for navigating life's complexities. The Virtue of Inner Strength is your comprehensive guide to building an unshakable foundation of inner power--both practical and profound--rooted in psychological insight and spiritual depth.